Ruin’s Embattlement (Tenillo Guardians AIMC #19)

Tanner Chapter 1-Current Day

God, it was so damn good to be home. I smiled as I drove through town and past the town limits toward the compound. There was nothing like home.

“What’s got you smiling?” Konrad asked from the passenger seat.

Kon was my closest Marine friend. It so happened that we were both getting out at the same time, although he’d served eight years to my four. As we finished the last few months, he’d asked me a ton more questions about the Infidels and biker life. I’d always been upfront about what my goal was. All my Marine friends knew and often liked to tease me about it good-naturedly. I didn’t take offense.

Konrad was the one most interested in that life, and finally, he asked if it would be alright for him to tag along when I returned home. He said he was considering prospecting with the club if he liked what he saw and they were willing to take him. I’d reached out to Sin and asked if that would be alright. We didn’t just let everyone in the compound to stay without approval. I’d been told to bring him, and they’d go from there. Packing up our stuff in my truck, we got on the road this morning at daybreak. We were excited to get there, and even though it wouldn’t take all day, we wanted to arrive early.

I knew the club and my family would want to celebrate my coming home, which meant they’d likely all gather tonight at the clubhouse for a party. Omen asking what time to expect us was a good hint I was right. It wasn’t necessary, but I knew not to tell them that. They wouldn’t listen.

“Just happy to be home, that’s all. What about you? Are you nervous yet? It’s not too late to run. I can turn around and put your ass on a bus and send you back to Arkansas,” I teased him.

“Fuck you, Fulton. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. What’s wrong? Are you scared the fam and your club will like me better than they like you? Hell, stop worrying about it. Of course they will, so get over it. Shit, I bet they’ll adopt me and kick your ass out within a week,” he joked.

“If only you had a hope in hell of that happening. You know, you can easily just disappear.”

I hadn’t shared that, in some cases, if you were a bad person, that was known to happen. Things like that were club business, and as much as I liked him as a friend, it wouldn’t be something I discussed. Over the years, I’d been involved in a few things. I had no worries about not being able to do what I needed to in order to protect my club and innocent people. I’d been deployed and got to put my CI knowledge and training into practice. I was no longer the innocent kid who went off to the Marines.

We razzed each other until we came to the gate of the compound. His eyes widened, and he blew out a long whistle as he took in the enclosed grounds. “Fuck, you weren’t kidding. This does look like a military base. Where’s the armed…” his voice petered off.

I intentionally didn’t use the gate code to enter. I wanted to give him a true sense of what it was like for others who came here. Coming through the gate with a gun on his hip was the new prospect I’d been told about, Niam. I hadn’t been home to meet him, but I knew he’d started a few months ago. He wasn’t someone who’d formally served with the current members. He was eyeing my truck suspiciously.

Smiling, I rolled down my window and waited for him to come to my side of it. Since I was in a cage, I didn’t have my cut on, but it was lying on the center console, plain as day. Before I could say anything, he spit out, “You need to turn around and leave. This isn’t the place for you.”

Instantly, my hackles went up. First off, he had yet to learn who he was speaking to. Secondly, even if I didn’t belong here, we didn’t treat people like crap unless they earned it. I could be lost and have stopped to ask for directions or be here to speak to the club about an important matter.

“I’d watch that tone. You must be Niam. We’re expected. As you can see, I have a pass, although if I wanted, I could’ve opened the gate without you,” I told him as I pointed to my cut.

He scowled at me and didn’t bother to look at what I was trying to show him.

“Listen, asshole. I don’t know who you are or how you know my name, but this club isn’t taking on any more prospects. Move along.” He turned his back on me.

Without pausing, I reached through my open window, yanked the gun out of his hip holster, and then slammed the door open into the back of him. He stumbled forward, swearing. He didn’t have a chance to right himself and turn before I was on him. Konrad was out of the truck and backing me. I ejected the magazine and the bullet in the chamber of the idiot’s gun on the ground before handing it back to him.

“What the fuck is your problem!?” he snarled as he took a swing at me. I ducked it.

“My problem is you’re being an asshole for no reason. You didn’t even bother to look at what I was trying to show you or let me explain who I am.”

“I don’t care who you and your buddy are.”

“Well, I suggest you start to care. You not only offended an Infidel family member, but you pissed off Executioner’s brother-in-law and Omen’s son,” a voice said.

I grinned as I looked over and saw Phantom walking out the gate. He wasn’t happy when he looked at Niam, but when the club’s secretary and hacker extraordinaire glanced at me, he grinned and opened his arms. Ignoring shithead, as I would now call Niam, I skirted him and went to Phantom. We beat each other on the back hard as we hugged.

“Welcome home, Tanner. Damn, it’s good to have you back for good. This must be your buddy, Konrad, that you told Sin about. Welcome, I’m Phantom. Why don’t you two drive up to the clubhouse? I’ll meet you there in a couple of minutes. I have some work to do.” He was back to scowling at Niam, who was standing there red-faced.

“Sure thing. Are they all there, or should I go to the house?” I asked.

“What do you think? It seems your mom and sister have been pacing for hours, waiting for you to get home. Go before they lose their minds. Don’t be surprised if a few others are there as well,” he said with a wink.

Getting back in my truck, not bothering to look at Niam again, I drove us to the clubhouse. Konrad was busy looking around. “Damn, it’s a small town, Ruin. I know you tried to describe it, but this is way more than I imagined. Phantom, he’s the club’s secretary, isn’t he?”

I ignored his slip, which had him using my Marine nickname. “It is something you have to see to believe. When my sister got with Executioner, there was only the clubhouse, Sarah’s house, that apartment building, and the trailers. All these other houses, the big garages, and the rest came later as more guys settled down. Phantom is more than the secretary. Don’t piss him off, or he and his old lady, Tamysin, will make your whole life disappear and your money too. They’re hackers.”

“Goddamn, what have I let you drag me into?” he asked as we got out.

I slipped on my prospect cut once my feet hit the ground. It always felt so good to wear it. From now on, I wouldn’t have to take it off unless I was naked or in a cage. “If I recall correctly, I didn’t drag you into anything. You were the one who wanted to tag along. Beware of what you ask for.”

He grinned and punched me in the arm as we made our way to the clubhouse door. There were bikes outside in the usual spots, and I heard voices inside. I noted him checking out the bikes with a gleam in his eye. I couldn’t wait to get mine out. I’d been taught to ride at sixteen and got my license at seventeen. As a high school graduation present, the club gave me my dream bike. Konrad had one, too. Assuming he stayed, it and the rest of his belongings would be shipped here. I’d missed riding when I was gone, but I didn’t want to risk my bike at the base. Whenever the need to ride was too much, I’d rent one and go for a long weekend or sometimes borrow his.

“Incoming,” I said to him before yanking the door open and walking inside. He was on my heels. The racket inside hit new decibels when I heard female voices screaming and then more voices calling out my name. I barely had time to brace myself before I was plowed into. I chuckled. It was my tiny mom, and right behind her, trying to get in my arms, was my slightly taller sister. I widened my arms and brought them both against my chest.

They were both crying. I hugged them close and kissed their cheeks. As I eased back, I saw others crowding in. The guys were waiting their turn. They knew better than to get in their old ladies’ ways. I knew until I greeted all the women with a hug, there was no use in trying to introduce them to Konrad.

“Mom, Sis, it’s good to see you,” I whispered.

“God, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Mom said.

“About time you got here,” Skye commented.

The next ten minutes were chaos as I hugged the other ladies and shook hands with the guys. Konrad appeared stunned. Three little monsters mobbed me just as I was about to begin introducing him.

Screaming, “Uncle Tanner,” were Josh and Jasmine.

Right after them, yelling, “Tanner,” was Shane. I grabbed all three together and bear-hugged them. I growled and pretended to bite their necks. They giggled. As I let go of them, I covertly glanced around to see if Desi was there. She was nowhere to be seen. My heart dropped, so much for things being different just because I was home for good. I’d have my work cut out for me, but I was determined to at least be friends again with her if not best friends.

I let out a loud whistle so everyone would settle down enough to hear me over the ruckus. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how great it is to be home. I need to introduce someone. Everyone, this is Konrad. He’s my closest Corps friend. He’s here to check us out and see if he likes what he sees, so don’t take it easy on him. Make him sweat. But I think before I introduce you all to him, we need a drink.”

My statement made him mouth fuck you to me, and I was greeted with laughs and cheers from the rest. As we were led to the bar, I wondered if Desi would come later or if she’d avoid me altogether. I won’t lie. It hurt that she hadn’t been here to say hello. I guess she hated me even more than I knew.

???

Hours later, things were still going strong. I’d introduced Konrad to everyone. His head was spinning with names. Eventually, we got free of everyone to settle in and put our stuff away in our rooms. His room was next to mine in the clubhouse. We were told to relax, shower, nap, do whatever we wanted, and then come back later for dinner and more partying. Even though the drive wasn’t long, I felt tired, so we took them up on it.

Entering the common room at seven that evening, when we were told to be back, I caught sight of Niam. It was my first sighting of him since our run-in and leaving him alone with Phantom. He didn’t look happy. His gaze skittered away when our eyes met. He stomped off in the opposite direction. Oh well, I guess we weren’t gonna be buddies. I wasn’t heartbroken.

I usually was friendly unless you gave me a reason not to be. So far, Niam hadn’t impressed me, and I had no doubt Phantom had chewed him a new asshole. I doubted he’d be the only one. The club didn’t like attitudes like what shithead Niam demonstrated. Was it because we were men and military that he acted the way he had, or was it something else?

The scents filling the room made my stomach growl. It smelled terrific, and having tasted what the women could cook, I knew we were in for a feast. Konrad groaned.

“What in the hell are these smells?” he asked.

“That, my friend, is the Infidels’ old ladies working their culinary magic. You wait until you taste it. We’ll be in a food coma for a week, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Man, do they cook often? Because if they do, we’ll need to double our workouts to stay in shape.”

“They do it often enough. Since everyone is married except Niam and us, the guys with old ladies get home-cooked meals a lot. As a club, they do it whenever the mood strikes or there’s a special occasion.”

“Everyone, listen up. Kids, women, and our two guests of honor go first. Then the rest of us can get our food. Go before I go crazy and kill ya. I’m hungry,” Sin shouted.

The common room erupted in laughter. It was a mishmash of the guys helping their women and kids get served. I helped Josh fill his plate while Skye did Jasmine’s, and Ex made one for my sister. Once the children and women were all seated, I grabbed my plate and shoved one in Konrad’s hands. I was taking advantage of first dibs ahead of the others, who were pretending to growl at us. When we were all seated, conversation was almost non-existent as we ate.

I was about halfway through my plate when the door opened, and Desi and Kayla walked in. My heart sped up. It had been months since I’d seen Desi. I devoured her with my gaze. She was talking intently to Kayla. Earlier, Kay had been here with the others. She was always fun to talk to. Konrad had tried his best to charm her.

“Who the fuck is that?” he asked in a whisper. I knew without asking, he’d caught sight of Desi, but I pretended not to understand.

“It’s Kayla, Kinslee’s little sister. Don’t tell me you forgot her already. You flirted your ass off with her.”

“Not her, the one with her.”

As much as I didn’t want to say it, I did. “That’s Desiree, Desi. I told you about her. She’s my foster sister.”

“Christ, that’s your foster sister? How the hell did you stand having her in the house? I mean, don’t get me wrong. Kayla is beautiful, but Desi is... wow. Did you and Desi ever, you know?” he whispered.

I had to hold myself back from punching him in the face. For one, his stare at Desi made me feel uneasy and angry. His hinting that she and I might’ve hooked up made those feelings worse. I had to take a couple of breaths before I answered him.

“No, we didn’t, you know. She’s my sister, for God’s sake. And don’t get any ideas. She’s not the kind to play with. Leave her alone. She has a son and, well, just don’t go there.”

I hadn’t shared Desi’s past with anyone, not even him. That was for her to do with those she felt comfortable telling.

He studied me before he answered. “I wouldn’t play games with someone in your family. I just can’t believe you wouldn’t go for her. She’s not your blood relative. It’s not illegal or immoral. I get being protective of her and not wanting guys to use or hurt her. However, you’ll have to accept that some guys will come calling, and they’ll be offering her a serious relationship. What will you say to them?”

“If or when a guy is serious about her, and if I determine he’s good enough for her, then I’ll welcome him,” I said. I left unsaid that I would never think anyone was good enough for her. Desi and Shane deserved the best.

Suddenly, he was on his feet. He gave me a challenging look. “Well, are you gonna sit there all night, or are you gonna introduce me to your sister? I think it’s only fair that I meet her, especially since we’ll be living on the same compound and running into each other.”

Gritting my teeth, I slowly got to my feet. I noted others were watching us and then glancing over at her. It was no secret that she and I no longer spoke, but he was right. They needed to be introduced. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable with a strange guy on the compound. Steeling my nerves, I confidently walked over to them. When I got close, I saw Desi hastily glance at me and then away. No way you can ignore me now , I thought.

I halted in front of them. Kayla gave me a sympathetic smile. “Hey, Tanner, have you said hi to Desi yet or introduce your friend to her?” She gave me an opening.

“As a matter of fact, I haven’t had a chance to do either. Hello, Desi. We missed you earlier. How’re you?”

She gave me a bland smile, and although she appeared to be looking at me, she was looking just off to the side of my eyes. I wanted to shake her and demand she acknowledge me for real.

“Hello, Tanner. Sorry about that. I was caught up with important business. Welcome home. I heard a rumor you were bringing someone with you. Introduce us.”

Konrad was eagerly standing there waiting to meet her. “Desi, this is Konrad. He’s my closest Marine friend. He just got out, too, and he came home with me to see if the club might be right for him. Konrad, this is my sister, Desi.” I saw the slightest flinch on her face when I called her my sister. Did she not even want to be known as that anymore?

His hand came out, and she let him grasp hers. I was surprised to see her do it so readily. Touching unknown people, particularly men, had always been a problem for her.

“Desi, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, but Tanner never told me how gorgeous you are. I look forward to getting to know you,” he uttered before he stunned me by raising her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles. I waited for her to freak out. Instead, she met Konrad’s gaze, and the smile she gave him was genuine. It fueled my anger.

“Welcome, Konrad. I hope you let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay better. Do you know much about motorcycle clubs or just what he’s told you?”

“I admit, until I met Tanner, I only knew what I saw on television and read. He’s shown me that there’s a lot to learn and has been educating me. I look forward to learning more and getting to know you. Why don’t you two join us? You have to be hungry, and the food is outstanding.”

The next thing I knew, the four of us were in line. Kon grabbed a plate and went through, asking Desi what she wanted. Not to be seen as an asshole, I did the same for Kayla. When they were done making their choices, they sat at the table with us. I knew Desi wasn’t crazy about being this close to me, but she was courteous and sat there chatting with Konrad.

As time lapsed and they kept talking, I grew irater. She seemed relaxed with him. Kayla kept asking me about the last few months at the base and other things. I was trying to behave. I was getting closer to separating Konrad and Desi when there was a loud whistle, and we all turned to focus on Sin. Overall, most people were done eating. It was clear the president had something to say. The kids were off playing or being held by their parents. It was after eight. Most would soon be going down for the night. There were a bunch of yawns and sleepy faces.

“I know that some of you will be heading home soon while others plan to stay and continue to celebrate Tanner’s homecoming. Before that happens, there’s one thing that I wanted to do—well, something the guys and I wanted to do. Tan, will you come up here?”

I had no clue what it was about, but I did as he asked. As I joined him, he slapped me on the shoulder and grinned. “You’ve been gone for four long years. We’re all so damn happy to have you home. As you know, before you left, we elected to let you begin to prospect even though you hadn’t served yet, and we knew you’d rarely get an opportunity to perform prospect duties until you got out.”

When he paused, I jumped in to make a statement. “Yes, and I can’t thank you enough for making that colossal exception, Sin. I’m more than honored you would even consider that. I’m here and ready to carry out any and all duties you guys feel fit to throw at me. I’ll give it one hundred and ten percent. There’s nothing I want more than to make you guys proud and, God willing, surpass your expectations and become an Infidel.”

“Son, we don’t doubt that, and we know how you’ll perform as an Infidel. Not only did we get to watch you for a couple of years as you finished growing up, but we’ve also seen the man you’ve become over these last few years. However, we know even more than that. Do you know why we make people prospect for a lengthy period?”

“Yes, so you can determine if he has the same values and sense of brotherhood as the rest. You need to ensure whoever joins is of like mind and can uphold your code.”

“True, and in general, we need time to do that and for all to agree whether a guy meets that criteria. When each member joined, almost everyone was known to at least one of the others, but not the whole club. It takes time for all of us to get to know a new person, and we have to be sure how each new person will be with our families. Family is hugely important to us.”

As he paused again, I was surprised when Saint stepped forward and took over talking. “Take you, for example. You’ve served your time and shared aspects of what you’ve done with us, but you didn’t share all of them. You kept details of your exploits to yourself, especially in the field. We all knew you were deployed and sent on various missions. What you didn’t know, and what we kept to ourselves, were your accomplishments in the Marines. We still have a lot of contacts. We were told how you were doing as a Marine and how instrumental you were in saving lives, including some details that will remain classified.”

I stiffened. How the hell did they know anything about those? Since those missions were classified, they shouldn’t have been told anything. Glancing around, I saw the men all staring at me with pride. What the hell was going on?

“Sir, I don’t—”

“You’re not in the Corps anymore. No need to be all formal. We’re not about to reveal anything we shouldn’t, but we mention it because those allowed us to see the kind of man you are and the kind of Infidel you will be even more, Tanner,” Sin added. He paused, and I felt suspense building.

“It’s because we knew all this that we got together and made a decision. It is the unanimous decision of the Ares Infidels that Tanner Fulton will, from this day forward, be a fully patched member of the club. Welcome to the brotherhood, Tanner,” Sin stated.

As I blinked in astonishment, Executioner and Omen came out of nowhere. They held a cut in their hands. This one had the club emblem and name on the back rather than the word Prospect . I gulped in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. I was dreaming.

Ex tugged off my prospect cut, and then Omen slid on my new one. People were cheering and clapping as I looked down at the front. That’s when I saw my road name. Ruin was there plain as day. It was my Corps name, and I was very proud of it. I recalled telling some of them about it, and I guess they thought using it was a tradition to stick to. Not everyone who joined had a military nickname, but those who did ended up keeping it.

“Drinks all around! Let’s celebrate the patching in of our newest brother, Ruin!” Saint shouted.

I was sucked into the middle of a whirlwind of congratulations, back pats, hugs, and more as drinks were poured and bottles opened and passed out. Konrad was smiling as he stood off to the side, clapping. I couldn’t believe they’d decided to accept the tiny amount of time I’d spent prospecting on leave and my deeds while on active duty to patch me in. I thought I had at least a year to go before this would be possible.

After everyone had a drink, including the ladies, I watched as the women, except for a few, all left and took the kids with them—those who remained settled in. I guess the night wasn’t over.

Konrad came over and shook my hand. “Way to go, Ruin. Leave it up to your overachieving ass to pull this off,” he teased.

“Jesus, I can’t believe it. I never expected this,” I muttered.

“Bastard, now I have a lot more to live up to.”

As we both chuckled, I happened to look around the room. First, I spotted Niam. He was glaring daggers at me. I guess he wasn’t happy with my status over him. The second was Desi. She gave me a sad look before turning and leaving.